TL;DR

Low-key glamour

First impression

Food & drinks

Bathroom and shower

The bedroom

Our Review

How did it strike you on arrival?Roman and Williams are a design duo more closely associated with downtown haunts like restaurants Lafayette and the Dutch and the popular nightclub, the Top of the Standard. In 2013, they brought some of that cool to Midtown with the Viceroy. The feeling is polished but casual, with leather sofas scattered throughout the common spaces, polished marble floors, and contemporary artwork on the walls.

Nice. What’s the crowd like?People who look downtown but who are staying in Midtown for one reason or another.

The good stuff: Tell us about your room.Rooms are decorated with lots of brass and wood, the Roman and Williams signature. The parquet wood floors and mosaic tiled bathrooms lend a homey, apartment-style feeling to the room that almost makes you forget you're in a hotel.

How about the little things, like mini bar, or shower goodies. Any of that find its way into your suitcase?We loved the minibar, which contained goodies (Woodford Reserve Whiskey, 1800 Tequila) we don't see very often.

Please tell us the bathroom won’t let us down.The charming bathroom is clad in mosaics and marble, with brass fixtures and a rain shower, and stocked with Neil George products.

Maybe the most important topic of all: Wi-Fi. What’s the word?Wi-Fi is only free for guests who book directly with the hotel. Otherwise, it's $14.99 per day. A major drawback, considering free Wi-Fi is standard at high-end hotels these days.

Anything stand out about other services and features? Whether it’s childcare, gyms, spas, even parking—whatever stuck with you.Incredible views of Central Park can be enjoyed with a cocktail at the hotel's rooftop bar, appropriately named the Roof.

What was most memorable—or heartbreaking—about your stay?No free Wi-Fi is the major bummer (if you didn't book directly through the hotel), but the unexpectedly cool and stylish rooms in the middle of Midtown make for a fun surprise.

Bottom line: worth it, and why?Let's say you have to stay in Midtown but don't want a bland, corporate luxury chain. Viceroy is the ideal antidote to that, and delivers understated hipness in spades.